Rail-joint.



No. 760,337. PATENTBD MAY 17, 1904.

B. KRAUS. RAIL JOINT.

v APPLIUATION FILED JAN. 27' 1904.

H0 MODEL. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

jar/lie %aus [ME uonms PETERS c0. WIQTU-LITHOH'WASNMGTON. o c.

No. 760,337. v PATENTED MAY 17, 1904. B. KRAUS.

RAIL JOINT.

APPLICATION I'ILBD arm. 21, 1904.

no MODEL. 2 sums-sumac z.

UNITED STATES Patented. May 17, 1904.

BURN'I'E KRAUS, OF PlTTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

RAIL-JOINT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 760,337, dated May 17,1904.

Application filed January 27, 1904. Serial N0. 190,846. (No model.)

To (LU w/tom, fl may concern:

Be it known that 1, Bonnie KRAUS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Pittsburg, 1n the county of Allegheny and State ofPennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements in Rail-Joints,of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to rail-joints, the object in view being toprovide novel and effective means for joining and bracing the adjacentends of railway-rails in such manner as to do away with the use of boltsand nuts and at the same time firmly connect the ends of the rails, sothat they are thoroughly braced and expansion and contraction providedfor.

With the above and other objects in view, the nature of which will morefully appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists in thenovel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts, ashereinafter fully illustrated, described, and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a perspective View of arail-joint complete. Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof. plan View of thesame. Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view ofthe joint with one of thesplice-bars removed. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one of thesplice-bars. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the splice-bar shown byFig. 5 in reverse position. Fig. 7 is an end view of the rail-joint,showing a rail in section. Fig. 8 is a similar view showing the mannerof connectin g and disconnectingthe splice-bars. Fig. 9 is across-seetion taken through the central portion of the joint between therail ends.

Like reference-numerals designate corre sponding parts in all thefigures of the drawings.

The rail-joint contemplated in this invention comprises but two piecesor members 1 and 2, shown, respectively, in detail in Figs. 5 and 6 andshown applied, in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, to the extremities of the rails,which are indicated at 3 and 4:, said rails being of the usualconstruction now in common use. The railjoint members or splice-bars 1and 2 may be made of any desired length and are preferably constructedto extend across several ties, as shown in Fig. 1. The main bodyportions of the splice-bars are shaped to conform to the Fig. 3 is abottom opposite sides of the rails, as shown in Figs. 7 and 8, so as tobear against the webs of the rails and also against the base-flanges andheads of the rails.

The joint member or splice-bar 2 has the inner surface of its bodyportion rounded, as shown at 5, so as to conform exactly to the shape ofthe rail, as shown in Figs 7 and 8, whereby it bears firmly against theweb of the rail and also against the lower side of the rail head andalso against the base-flange of the rail. The outer surface of the bodyportion is cut away or chanifered, as shown at (S, and provided in itsouter edge with notches or seats 7 to receive the inturned heads of theordinary railway-spikes 8, as best illustrated in Figs. 1, 7 and 8. Thesplice-bar 2 is further provided with a central outward offset 9, alsobeveled and provided with other notches or seats 7 sin 1ilar to thoseabove described and for a like purpose. The other splice-bar, 1,corresponds in every way with the splice-bar 2, except that the roundedinner surface of the body portion thereof, as shown at 10, is describedon a different are, so that in assembling the two parts of the joint orbringing together the two splice-bars said rounded surface 10 will notbe interfered with by the head of the rail, but will ride past the same,as indicated in Fig. 8, so as to allow the body portion of the splicebarto be positioned in the manner illustrated in Fig. 7 wherein it will beobserved that when the splice-bar 1 is in place it bears firmly againstthe web and base of the rail and also has a bearing against theunderside of the rail-head, the rail being thus firmly held'between thetwo splice-bars, thus keeping the ends of the rails in alinement andbracing the same relatively to each other. The splice-bar 1 is providedwith notches or seats 7 for the reception of the heads of thesecuring-spikes, which are driven into the ties in the usual manner.

The two splice-bars 1 and 2 are provided intermediate their ends withcentral inward oflsets or abutments 11 and 12, which may be of anydesired length, generally of about one foot, the said offsets orabutments fitting be tween the extremities of the rails, as clearlyshown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3. One of said oilsets or abutments is providedwith a dovetailed rib or projection 13, while the other one is providedwith a correspondingly-shaped recess or groove 14 to receive theprojection or tongue 13. The meeting faces 15 and 16 of the offsets orabutments are described on the arc of a circle, as shown at 17, thepurpose of which is to adapt the member 1 to be coupled with the member2 by pushing the same downward, as shown in Fig. 8, after engaging theinterlocking parts 13 and 14 with each other. By reference to Fig. 2 itwill be noticed that the offsets or abutments 11 and 12 fit snuglytogether at the top of the joint, while at the bottom a space 18 (shownin Fig. 3) is left to provide for the necessary expansion andcontraction due to changes in the weather, and by reference to Fig. 9 itwill be noticed that the space between the interlocking parts of thejoint members gradually increases from the top of the rail-joint to thebottom thereof. It will thus be seen that the joint members orsplicebars are provided with interlocking parts which occupy a positionbetween the extremities of the rails and which serve to hold the bodyportions of the splice-bars snugly against the sides of the railextremities, thus maintaining the alinement between V the rails and theinward offsets or abutments to provide the rail ends with holes toreceive such bolts.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is 1. In arail-joint, oppositely-located splicebars having interlocking portionswhich project inwardly toward each other and lie between the adjacentextremities of the rails, one of said portions having a rib and theother a rest to receive said rib, the rib being slidable vertically inrelation to the recess.

2. In a rail-joint, oppositely-located splicebars having body portionswhich engage the sides of the rail ends, and inwardly-extendingabutments which lie between the extremities of the rails and interlockwith each other, substantially as described.

3. Inarail-joint,oppositely-arranged splicebars extended to engage thesides of the rails and provided with central inward offsets or abutmentswhich interlock with each other and form an interposed continuation ofthe rails, substantially as described.

4. In a rail-joint, oppositely-arranged splicebars provided intermediatetheir ends with inward offsets or abutments having an interlockedengagement with each other and embodying correspondingly curved meetingfaces which adapt the interlocking members to be slid into engagementwith each other,

substantially as described.

5. In a rail-joint,oppositely-arranged splicebars provided intermediatetheir ends with inwardly-extending abutments which lie between the railextremities and are provided with interlocking portions, the meetingfaces and interlocking portions of the abutments being described on thearc of a circle so as to permit the splice-bars to be associated anddisconnected by sliding the interlocking parts into and out ofengagement with each other, substantially as described.

6. In a rail-joint, oppositely-arrangcd splicebars provided withinwardly-extending 01?- sets or abutments which lie between the railextremities and are providedwith interlocking portions, the meetingfaces of which are curved in convex and concave form to adapt said partsto be slid laterally into and out of engagement with eachother, onesplice-bar having its body portion shaped to fit accurately one side ofthe rail, and the other body portion being rounded on a pitch which willadmit of the same passing by the head of the rail in the act of engagingthe same with or disengaging the same from the opposite splicebar,substantially as described. 7

7. In a rail-joint, the combination with the ends of adjoining rails, ofoppositely-arranged splice-bars engaging the opposite sides of the railsand provided with inwardly-extending offsets or abutments which liebetween the rail ends and interlock with each other, and means forfastening the splice-bars to the ties so as to hold the splice-bars ininterlocked engagement with each other.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

BURNIE KRAUS.

Witnesses:

G. J. ANDERSON, CHARLES C. PORTER.

